I was thinking how Saeko have some hidden inner woman within herself, but I'm not sure about it anymore.

Now I think she is the slightest form of trans man. A straight trans man, exclusive top, who is somehow comfortable with female body, until sexually using that body in a way who Saeko isn't.

In that case, Saeko is not transsexual, but some transgender issues here are obvious. Tomboys belong to lesbian spectrum observing through sexuality and assigned sex at birth, but to transgender spectrum as well, observing identity expression through boyish look. Like both in same time.
I would be glad to hear other opinions about it, without drama and judgment to my personal point of view.

Saeko is watching herself from above "with cold eyes", it's definitely a split of personality in a moment. Her identity is "watching" her sexuality, expressed in a "wrong" way (being bottom is just unnatural for Saeko, she can't identify with it, she does not have anything to give through it, it simply is not a part of her inner being and it can't be forced).

This is my impression in current situation, how I perceive it for now.

They can't have sex with this intensity between them.
Coming occasionally just from closeness and touches they would die from heart attacks during sex.

Saeko is just shy and does not want to give that side of herself to anybody. She needs to trust to her lover completely before giving herself completely.

I don't think it's about trauma or self-hatred, or anything else negative.
She is just very protective of a woman inside her. It's the most hidden and most vulnerable part of her.
If she wants to let her inside woman go, she must feel safe with her partner.

Saeko is just precious and very sensible.

your sexuality is not defined by who is attracted to you.

I agree with you completely. It was not my intention to claim like it is defined.

I'm finding a little strange why Kaoru is attracting same sex?
Sometimes person can give a vibe clearly, sometimes unconsciously. And sometimes person attracted to them can be wrong.

For example, Reichi is attracted to Risako, probably replacing her gay vibe for strong successful independent woman. He is attracted to his ideal. But what if his ideal turns completely wrong? (in a case if Risako is gay, she is till strong successful independent woman, but it wasn't a sexual call to Reichi, and he missed her original, deeper vibe, assuming.)

I think we can be attracted to someone perceiving a mixed signal, and basically we can think it's about sexual attraction. But sometimes it can be a confidence, and any other quality in person. Not sexuality what is attracting us.

I'm finding in this manga more complexity than just about pure sexual attractions and questioning which character is possibly gay or bi or straight.

I'm perceiving it's about finding a wholeness, how characters are interacting with each other and what they want to give, what can receive.

@rainbow8

Risako bisexual? I would rather say Kaoru is bisexual, but not fully awaken in her sexuality. She stuck with Reichi in a marriage from pity, which I wouldn't recommend to continue.
Uta knocked hardly on her shell confessing her love, and it cracked, but not enough. It opens possibility for Risako to crack it more. We will see what is going to happen...

Look, Kaoru obviously attracted Uta, and possibly Risako. She attracted both female characters, but she did not attract Reichi in a same way. So she is giving some vibe of "unawakened lesbian" in herself.

Now she should move on from Reichi and explore her sexuality, with Uta or Risako. Personally I'm fine with either.
I just don't think for her is good to be in hetero relationship. Something is rotten in it for her. There's no love and passion.
Maybe all characters are missing some passion in their love life.
We as readers just need to see where, how and with whom the spark will finally appear. And will it ever happen

Of course, this is my personal opinion, and impressions about characters. I'm not forcing it on anyone, or say it's definitely like I'm saying. Some people can agree with me, some not, but author is the one who decides what will happen with characters.

last edited at Feb 23, 2023 12:34AM

Reichii did say it was a betrayal anyway. Plus a strong hint that the main reason they didn't have sex was Risako's prudence.

Not prudence, Risako is a lesbian. 100%

What do you base that on?

It's just my impression. I think Risako started to date Reichi in high school only because Kaoru was her true love interest. Reichi was easier to manipulate, but after tragic events with Kaoru's mother it fails, and Reichi is taking responsibility for Kaoru. Risako is not fighting against it.

If she is a classic jealous type of straight woman, she would not have cared for Kaoru, having sex with Reichi to prove to herself she is better than Kaoru in everything, even getting married with Reichi.
From it I perceive Risako as a lesbian. She doesn't look to me truly interested in Reichi. It looks like she is always questioning him about Kaoru, asking personal questions. Because she truly cares for her, but more than a friend.

Reichii did say it was a betrayal anyway. Plus a strong hint that the main reason they didn't have sex was Risako's prudence.

Not prudence, Risako is a lesbian. 100%
She's moving like a cat around a mouse.

She can't take care of the house, but she is taking care of her future wife.

Part 3

And that future husband, who is married to his job, did he deserve such a cute girl as Yuna???
Only because he is a man???
He does not care at all, he just needs his trophy wife. And he is also an irresponsible and selfish person for relationship and marriage with someone.

Now, if we want healthy situation from this relationship Sayo-Yuna, Sayo must take her shits and show some balls.

This one shot is precious, as it is. Striking.

last edited at Jul 7, 2020 10:00AM

Part 2

Society says: "Husband is responsible for a wife". It's easier for society to observe situation through gender roles, but responsibility has no gender role.

Here we have relationship between woman and woman. Sayo is not mature enough to accept her own responsibility for her love and lover. Gender is irrelevant and gender roles.
She is escaping responsibility hiding herself behind bullshits and social constructs.

What if she is a lesbian, or woman? It does not mean she must give up without fighting for who she is, and whom she loves!

last edited at Jul 7, 2020 9:31AM

Cheating girl is possibly very unhappy because of Sayo's lack of interest and value for her.
Just provoking to get what she really wants. Who she really wants.
But Sayo doesn't fight for her.

I see Sayo's indifference as a negative issue here.

Anyway, cheating girl is hitting on others, but never going with them.
It's always Sayo.

That's not really fair to Sayo. If you respect someone else at all, then after a certain point you have to respect their expressed wishes about who they want to be with and getting married to someone else is well after that point.

Dating someone else or cheating to make the person you actually care jealous or to try and make them fight for you is pretty terrible behavior. It's unfair to both the person you claim to care about and the person you're using to get at them. More then that, it has no good reasonable outcomes: Either you don't get the person you want, because they didn't think you were seriously interested in them, you convince them to force themselves on you against your expressed wishes which is ... not the hallmark of a healthy relationship.

As for the friend flirting with everyone, but only going with Sayo, that's demonstrably not true, since she's getting married to someone else. Even in the scenes we saw, we can't tell if she would have gone with any of the other people, because Sayo physically and forcefully dragged her away before she could. She even complained about Sayo hurting her the second time.

I'm still standing by my opinion. I've never said their relationship is healthy.

Yuna: "I'm unhappy, I feel neglected even before the marriage"- She says she wants to have sex, to whom? To SAYO. And what?

Sayo is pushing her away, Sayo is jealous, Sayo forcefully is dragging her away, Sayo almost insulted her directly...
And what? Both are confessing love to each other in bed, during sex.

But it's reality, such kind of relationships. If one side is pushed away, often will escape reality drinking, losing any criteria, trying to find attention somewhere else even it's dangerous...

Yuna is lost, left on her own to hang on in a gap. It does not matter how she is sweet to Sayo, Sayo is constantly pushing her away, until she can't, when she must react and shelter her from self-harming behavior.

And I can't feel any connection between Yuna and her fiance. I can't even call it cheating, her needs. "I'm normal"-she says. And yes, she is. She wants to be loved.
Prospect of "future husband" here is only a picture of someone who does not care at all. But it does not hurt Yuna, she's hurt by neglecting of Sayo.

Problem is, some lesbians will accept their love interest het-marriage without fighting, taking the role of third wheel as "expected". Sayo gave up before it's over. And that's why she is pushing her love, her lover, into disaster.

last edited at Jul 7, 2020 9:58AM

Cheating girl is possibly very unhappy because of Sayo's lack of interest and value for her.
Just provoking to get what she really wants. Who she really wants.
But Sayo doesn't fight for her.

I see Sayo's indifference as a negative issue here.

Anyway, cheating girl is hitting on others, but never going with them.
It's always Sayo.

^
Thanks. Yeah. I was confused about "Prince Sae". It's like double ID. An undiscovered mysterious character, almost another person. Not another personality of Saeko, just someone else.

"Prince" is a common trop in Yuri, it refer to Girls with short hair cuts and chivalrous attitude. That's a trope that mostly never have been associated to trans, not that i read that much trans mangas.

I agree with you.
I think I was confused because all prince-types girls are usually present as characters from the beginning til the end, without much changing their appearance.
But for now we as readers did not see "Princ Sae", only Saeko as Saeko we know. Maybe after introduction of Prince Sae situation will not be as confusing as now. Probably you can see now why I reacted and commented like I did, and why I was confused.

I did not read that much trans manga too, I remember only Giro no gender recently (but there is almost everything mixed in)

I love symbolic meanings in this manga very much!

At first, love starts like thunder. Unexpected.

"Take my umbrella"- It's quite good playing with a ways of sharing an umbrella and destiny.
Indeed, they were sharing an umbrella from the beginning, but never in same moment. It was like a secret confession of love when the girl with black hair gives an umbrella to the blonde.

"Bookmark the page your at"- it was like "Keep me in your mind"

Returning an umbrella was rejection.

But they were already connected, returning to each other.
Throwing the bag on her was like "Take me with all my baggage "

Destiny and happy ending. Beautiful love story.

...

last edited at Jul 6, 2020 5:23AM

^
Thanks. Yeah. I was confused about "Prince Sae". It's like double ID. An undiscovered mysterious character, almost another person. Not another personality of Saeko, just someone else.

Is Saeko a trans guy??? And was hurt and ridiculed for it before, now hiding behind long hair?
I'm very confused now. Saeko is very boyish in everything regardless of verbal expression of gender

And what will be now, after Miwa asking for switch?

I've heard pretransition trans guys are not comfortable with their bodies, but I'm not sure why Seako is not a switching type. Is it physical or emotional insecurity?

How to make a difference between a trans guy (possibly hidden) and a lesbian in such unclear situation like here, at this point in story-line?

Interesting psychological mess...
Concept of manga based on anger triggered by jealousy and fear of abandonment, to justify an act of love hidden under all these layers.
Complexity of human mind...

So, even positive emotions like love can transform into anger, while suppressed or threatened?
That's how I get it, but I did not think about it until reading this manga. Hm...

Saeko is falling harder and harder...

I think I can see a split in her behavior between clingy and her usual self.
She is changing.

"Straight girl" surely did not learn how to pleasure a woman while sleeping with some males.

And senpai is inexperienced even in self pleasuring.
She needs some lessons and practice.

I really felt a pity for a "straight girl" in bottom position.

It's very dangerous to keep someone in darkness, misleading them to think they are doing good when they are not.

I'm slightly annoyed......
But it's probably because of personal reason.

I hoped that Arisa was actually Nina. What a twist )

Yeah, same. I already wrote my previous comment, and just found yours.

Also, after all I'm getting, Arisa eventually stole school uniform from Nina, or it's strange how Nina has a twin and Shizuku does not know it... Only if twins go to different schools.
And Arisa role-played Nina.

last edited at Jun 22, 2020 12:35AM

It would be better if Arisa is "imaginary" twin. Nina pretending as she is "Arisa" role playing another character. And let Shizuku discover it at the end.

Still is possible that NTR would be a tag related to imaginary character of Nina.....

Anyway, it's not bad like this. And for sure Shizuku isn't the first friend which Nina invited.

Excellent kisses.
Their lips and mouth, so juicy and fresh. Looks healthy and inviting.
And blushing... Perfect.

last edited at Jun 20, 2020 7:04AM